Think the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass isn't that hard. Well, think again. Atthe 2007 Players Championship, 50 balls went into the water surrounding theisland green in just one round. Mind you, these are the best players in theworld and still 50 balls met with a watery grave.Yes, it is a very difficult golf course but not as difficult as it once was.
The Players Championship was first held at TPC Sawgrass in 1982. Then, BenCrenshaw made the following remark about the course: "It's Star Wars golfdesigned by Darth Vader." Apparently, there was a lot of harsh criticism aboutthe course in its debut, and the designer, Pete Dye, made some very significantchanges which were regarded by the players as major improvements. It's nowdeemed to be a strong but fair test of golf.
What I find somewhat interesting are the similarities that exist between AmenCorner at Augusta and the final three holes at Sawgrass. Each stretch of holesconsists of a short but murderous par 3, a tantalizingly short par 5 and a verydifficult par 4. And, in order to be a contender in either tournament, you haveto play these holes well.
The weather at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., (home of the Players Tournament) willbe very warm with afternoon temperatures in the upper 80s. There is a chance ofan afternoon thunderstorm, but most of the day will be rain-free. The wind willbe east to southeast at 10-15 miles per hour, just enough to jostle nerves atnumber 17.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist John Kocet.
